Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is a form of gardening that tries to avoid the use of pesticides while providing soil fertility with local sources of nutrients rather than purchased fertilizers. Organic gardeners emphasize sustainability and the concept of "feeding the soil, not feeding the plant".

Organic gardening was the only method of gardening before the recent development of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. With the recognition that heavy synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use may be detrimental to our environment, there has been a renewed interest in organic gardening over the last fifty years, both by homeowners and commercial farmers.

• Soil fertility is enriched by the addition of green manures, minerals, compost, or by companion plants, rather than synthetic fertilizers.
  
  
• Control of animal pests is achieved through natural methods, including crop rotation, physical removal of insects, introduction of predatory species, interplanting, and through the use of companion plants which may demonstrate pest-repellant characteristics.
  
  
• Unwanted plants (or weeds) are suppressed without the use of synthetic herbicides. In addition to mechanical weed removal, barriers are often used to prevent weeds from reaching the light they need to grow. Generally called mulches, barriers include stones, leaf litter, straw or wood.

Resources

Further information on organic gardening may be found at the following links:

Organic Gardening. WSU Extension Bulletin 0648. A detailed guide to organic gardening in Washington State.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Techniques University of Missouri. While directed more towards the small farmer, this is a helpful guide to organic gardening.

Organic Fertilizers. WSU Extension, Stewardship Gardening. A list of common organic fertilizers.

Organic Vegetable Gardening. University of Florida. Discusses home organic vegetable gardening in great detail. Includes information on organic fertilizers and soil amendments.

Organic Weed Management. Cornell University. Weed control options for the organic gardener.

Biological Control: A guide to Natural Enemies in North America. Cornell University. This guide provides photographs and descriptions of biological control (or biocontrol) agents of insect, disease and weed pests in North America. It is also a tutorial on the concept and practice of biological control and integrated pest management (IPM).